Nail-plate feeder



(N0 Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

H. B. CHESS.

NAIL PLATE FEEDER. No. 300,571. Patented June 17, 1884.

7 (N0 Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. H. B. CHESS.

NAIL PLATE EEEEEE. No. 300,571, E Patented June 17, 1884.

UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

nnnvnr B. cruise, on rrrrsnnne, rnnnsvnvnnin.

NA! L-PLATE FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,571,6ated June 17,1884.

A pplicatiou filed November 2, 1883. (No model.)

To all 1072,0722, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARVEY B. (juices, of Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Feeders for Nail and Tack Machines, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, making apart of this specification, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimprovcd feeder attached to amachine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevationof the same. Fig. 4 shows the spiral gearing with the cap removed. Fig.5 shows details of construction.

My present invention has reference to a device for feeding the plates ina tack or nail machine; and it consists in the several combinations ofdevices hereinafter explained and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the exact manner in which I have carried it out.

In the drawings, A represents a spiral gear fixed on the shaft A andinside of the righthand post or upright A. This spiral gear engages withand drives the spiral gear, B of equal size, mounted upon a shaftjournaled in the box, and running in aperpendicular plane at rightangles, or nearly so, to the gear A, and is inclosed in the said box13', attached under neath and to the front of the shaft and to theupright. The cover of this box has a shaft, B", passing through itandtoward the front and concentric with the axis of the driven wheel-gearB. Provision is madefor limited sliding movement of this shaft. Its rearend carries a crank, a, and wrist-pin a, and its front end a portion, b,of a universal joint. (See Fig. 5.) In one position longitudinally ofthe shaft B the wristpin a engages or e11- ters a hole or recess, 1), inthe spiral gear B, and is thus rotated. In the other position of theshaft B the wrist-pin is so far drawn out by the lever F that thewrist-pin does not enter or engage with the gear 13, and consequentlythe shaft B is not driven. The second portion of the universal joint?)is attached to a slight shaft, Qwhich extends to the outer bearing ofthe barrel D,where it is squared or provided with a feather, and on thissquared or feather part is mounted the ball-pinion D, through which theshaft G has a free sliding movement. The spiral spring 6 is centered inthe sleeve E, the function of which spring is to throw the shaft towardthe machine and the wrist-pin into engagement with the gear B, runningin box 13. This ball-pinion is formed by having the usual teeth of thepinion sunken in the surface of the sphere, and is held in sphericalbearings in proper relation to an other ball-gear, D, double the size ofthe former, mounted rigidly on the feeding-barrel D. This last-mentionedball has its gear-teeth projecting from its surface, a recess beingprovided for this purpose, and the bearing E being made of sphericalform. Both these pinions are held in place by one cap, E, which ishinged and secured by any proper latch device.

When it is desired to stop rotation of the barrel, the bell-crank leverF, Fig. 1, is depressed, and its fork f,.pressing on the collar G of theshaft, disengages the shaft from the gear-wheel B by withdrawing thewrist-pin from its contact with the recess 1') when the shaft ceases torevolve. Removing the pressure from the lever, the spiral spring 6 inthe sleeve E throws the shaft toward the machine, and when the spiralgear B in its rotation brings the hole or recess 1) opposite thewristpin or driver a the latter enters the recess, and the rotation ofthe parts is resumed. Instead of the axis of the shaft- ]3 beingconcentric to the driving-gear B, as before stated, I may have iteccentric by cutting the recess into an oblong form or a slot having aradial direction,and then get an irregular or slow and fast movement ofthe driving-shaft, and transmit this irregular movement to thefeeding-barrel, and when properly adjusted as to time it gives a longerperiod of rest at the time of cutting, and a more rapid movement throughthe next semi-revolution. In both arrangements regard must be had toeventual position of the nose-piece at the time of cutting off theblank.

' The rest His attached to the front of the bed of the machine by screwsthrough its base,

, and this base forms the arc of a circle whose axis is on a verticalline with the extremity of the fixed guard, and the place of attachmentis such that should itbe deemed necessary to change the line of feedingthe barrel-axis is made to revolve about the extremity of the fixedguard, or where the iron going into the machine impinges on the former.This permits a lateral adjustment of the barrel without readjustment ofthe bearingdown spring H.

The rest is moved and .held in position by set-screws i 43. Again, itbeing sometimes desirable to change the direction of the feeder,perpendicularly considered, I have provided means for this by aset-screw, I, at the lower edge of the curved base. By forcing in thescrew I the outer end of the rest is elevated, and withdrawing-thescrew, the same is depressed. These several lateral and verticaladjustments are permitted by the flexibility and construction of thebearings, and are accomplished without any derangement of the time whilethe nose-piece of the machine is in notion.

It is evident that, in lieu of the universal joint I), a flexible shaftcould be used without departing from the spirit of my invention and withgood result; and it is also evident that, although I have described thegears A and B as spiral gears, these may be miter or bevel wheels, ifpreferred, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The shaft A, being causedto revolve byreason of its being connected to suitable drivingmechanism, carries with it the gears A and B, which, as before stated,are inclosed within suitable boxes. The spring 6 contained in the barrelE being released moves the shaft 0 toward the driving-shaft A, and thecontinued revolution of the drive-shaft and gear B brings the recess 2)in line with the wrist-pin a, when the spring 6 immediately throws theseparts into connection, as well as the pinions D D on the outer end ofthe shaft 0 and barrel D, respectively, the innerend of the latter,which is provided with the nose-piece, being held down by means of aspring, H. Now, it is obvious that by the devicesjust referred to,communicating motion to the pinions D D, as before stated, the barrel D,through which the nail-plate is fed by hand, is kept revolving as longas the wrist-pin engages the recess in the gear B, the inner end of thebarrel D being loosely held upon the bed by the spring H above referredto. To throw the several parts out of gear the operator simply depressesthe bell-crank lever F, when the shaft 0 is moved outward, therebydisengaging the pinions D D, at the same time withdrawing the wrist-pinfrom its hole b, and box B, v in combination with the shaft B, passingthrough the box, and carry ing on its rear end a crank, a, andwrist-p111 a, and on its front end a portion, 1), of a universal joint,all constructed to operate substantially as and for the purpose hereinspeci fled. I

2. The shaft A, provided with spiral gear A, the spiral gear B, andshaft B, in combination with the shaft 0, provided with a ballpinion, D,sleeve E, and spring 6, all constructed to operate substantially as andfor the purposes herein specified.

3. The shaft C, provided with a ballpinion, D, supported in sphericalhearings, in combination with a ball-gear, D, rigidly mounted on thefeederbarrel, and the feeder-barrel D, all constructed to operatesubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The shaft 0, provided with a collar, G,

the sleeve E, and spring 6, in combination with the shaft B andbell-crank lever F, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The driving-shaft A, the shaft B, and the shaft 0, in combinationwith gears A, B,

D, and D,whereby the feeder-barrel is adaptv ed to be driven by powerdirectly from the driving-shaft, substantially as herein shown anddescribed.

HARVEY B. CHESS.

Witnesses:

WM. N. EASTON, THOMAS J. ROGERS.

